Golf-ball.



No. 7(1I,74lr f Patented lune 3, '|90244 YE. KEMPSHALL.

eoLF BALL. (fpplimim am myr 5,- 1mm.)I

(Nn Model.)

`UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE KEMPSHALLMANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEV JERSEY.

GOLF-BALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent No. 701,741, dated June 3,1902. Application inea M ay 5,1902. sans No. 105,823?. (No man.)

To t1/Z whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, a citlzen of the United States,residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Mas'-Asachusetts, have invented certain new andv useful Improvements inGolf-Balls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to playing-balls, and especiallytothoseintendedtowithstand harsh usage, as in the game of golf; and its object is toprovide a shell which is resilient and has little liability to be cut orbroken and otherwise to improve the ball.

In the drawings forming part ofthis specification, Figure l is a View,partly in section, of a ball made according to my present improvementsand'havin g a central cavity. Fig. 2 shows a hemispherical perforatedblank of hard springy material used as a reinforcement in the shell ofthe ball. Fig. 3 illustrates the final stage in making the ball,which isshown as having a hard center piece; and Fig. 4 shows in section one ofa pair of hemispherical blanks of plastic material used in forming theouter component ofthe ball-shell.

In the several views similar parts are designated by similar charactersof reference.

In the preferred manner" ofI practicing my invention I inclose a rubbersphere 1,' which may be provided with a center piece 2 of gutta-perchaor other springy material, in a shell compounded of layers ofYgutra-percha and celluloid, preferably one layer of each, and thelayers being preferably interlocked.

For the inner layer I prefer to use hemispherical segments 3 ofcelluloid, fitting upon the rubber sphere l. To this layer I applyhemispherical segments 4 of gutta-percha,

and the parts thus assembled I place in heating-dies 5 and 6, by whichthe gutta-percha segments are softened and compacted and also welded, asat A. Portions of the gutta-percha are forced into perforations 7provided in the celluloid segments, forming hobs, as indicated at 7,wherebythe shell components are locked together. I prefer to countersinkthe perforations from the inside -of the segments, as at 7b, so that thehobs 7a are of dovetail form, as illustrated, thereby efecting a moresecure lock. It is not essential, however, in all ways of forming aninterlocked shell that the shell components 3 and 4 be locked togetherafter being assembled upon a filling.

By preference I make the celluloid, seg- 'ments 3 undersized, so thatwhen vthey are placed upon the ball there is a gap or crevice between.them which is coincident kwith the weld-line A of the gutta-perchasegments, whereby the gutta-percha at the weld-line is forced into saidcrevice, as at B, so that an increased area of welding surface ormaterial is given, or, in other words, the weld-joint is broadened orextended inwardly between the slightly-separated edges of the segments3.

By means of the segments 3, which taken together form a substantiallycomplete inner shell or shell component and which are preferably of thincelluloid, the gutta-.percha shell or shell component 4a is powerfullyreinforced. If desired, the gutta-percha may be thinner than usual, thusavoiding an objection to which a thick shell of this material issometimes liable because of its liability under some conditions toacquire a permanent'dent or become cracked when given a severe blowT bya club. Because of the celluloid or hard layer sharp indentation of thegutta-percha shell is preventedand the force of the blow is diffusedoveraewide area of the rubber sphere, thus not only saving theguttapercha from injury, but also quickening the response of the ball toa blow.

It will be seen that the gutta-percha is supported substantiallythroughout upon a resilient and firm layer, which is preferably sojoined to the gutta-percha that the two layers operate practically asone, thus vastly improving the playing quality of the ball. In otherwords, the gutta-percha is supported upon a reinforcing springy shellconsisting of the hemispheres 3 3, whereby injury to the gutta-perchashellis minimized or avoided,

while said shell or layer 3 3 in action cop-y erates with thegutta-percha layer. to great advantage. It will also be seen. thatthe/compound shell by rcason of being mounted'upon a yielding sphere orfilling, which may consist of firm and highly-elastic rubber, is by saidfilling further supported and reinforced throughout, thereby producing anearly indestructible ball, while at the same time there is in action asatisfactory cooperation between the said rubber sphere and the innerlayer 3 3 ICO of the shell, thereby improving the springy quality of theball. i

By the perforations 7 not only are the shell components interlocked, butthe flexibility of the inner shell is improved, and so far as certainfeatures of my invention are concerned it is not essential that thisinner shell consist of celluloid, since other hard material may beemployed. It is not, however, essential in all ways of practicing myinvention that the shell components be interlocked, and, if desired, theinterlocking may be otherwise effected.

Since the improvements effected in the ball by means of my presentinvention arise largely from the construction and application of theshell, it will be understood that a variety of yielding fillings may beemployed-as, for instance, the rubber sphere may be either solid orhollow, as at Fig. 1, or filled with gutta-percha, as at 2, Fig. 3, thelatter structure being preferred.

It will be seen that one of the important features of mypresentimprovements consist in supporting an outer shell-layer ofplastic material by means of an inner thin shell-layer of harder andmore resisting plastic material, and so far as this feature is concernedeach layer may consist ot' a simple unperforated shell. Preferably theshell consists wholly of two layers, as illustrated. It will beunderstood that the filling,comprising the sphere 1 and the center piece2, is held under compression by the compound shell, said compressionbeing effected by the heating-dies, the compression of the ball effectedthereby being maintained while the shell cools and hardens. By thepressure of the dies the inner layer 3 3 is embedded in the outer layer4, which is softened by reason of the heat of the dies.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. A playing-ball comprising ashell having two layers of .plastic material; the inner layer beingharder than and distinct from the outer layer, said outer layer formingthe cover of the ball.

2. A playing-ball comprising a yielding filling and a shell consistingwholly of two layers; the inner layer consisting of Celluloid and theouter layer consisting of a more yielding plastic material.

3. A playing-ball comprising a shell consisting wholly of two layers,the outer layer consisting of plastic material and being materiallythicker and more yielding than the inner layer, said outerlayer formingthe cover of the ball.

4. A playing ball comprising a rubber sphere and a shell, thelatterconsisting wholly of two springy layers, and the outer layer beingmaterially thicker than the inner layer and also consisting of moreyielding material.

5. A playing-ball comprising a shell having an inner layer of celluloidand an outer layer of gutta-percha, and a yielding filling.

6. A playing-ball comprising a shell having two layers of plasticmaterial, the inner layer being harder and distinct from the outerlayer, and a yielding filling held under compression by said shell.

7. A playing-ball comprising a shell having an inner hard layer, anouter layer of guttapercha, said outer layer being materially thickerthan said inner layer; and a rubber sphere held under compression bysaid shell.

8. A playing-ball comprising a shell having an inner layer of Celluloidand an outer layer of gutta-percha, said outer layer being materiallythicker than said inner layer; and a springy filling held undercompression by said shell.

9. A playing-ball comprising a shell consisting of an outer layer ofmolded springy material, and an inner supporting layer of harder springymaterial; said layers being interlocked.

10. A playing-ball comprising a shell consisting wholly of two layers,the inner layer being perforated, and the material of the outer layerpenetrating the perforations said inner layer being materially thinnerthan said outer layer.

11. A playing-ball comprising a shell consisting of two layers ofplastic material; the inner layer being perforated and the material ofthe outer layer penetrating the perforations, said outer layer beingmaterially thicker and of more yielding material than said inner layer.

12. A playing-ball comprising a shell and a yielding filling; said shellconsisting of two layers, one layer being perforated and the material ofthe other layer penetrating the perfor-ations; and the outer layer beingmaterially thicker than the inner layer and also of softer material.

13. A playing-ball comprising a shell having interlocked layers, theinner layer being of harder material than the outer layer, and ayielding filling held under compression by said shell.

14. A playing-ball comprising a shell consisting of a perforated innerlayer of celluloid, an outer layer of gutta-percha, the material of saidouter layer penetrating said perforations; and a yielding filling heldunder compression by said shell.

15. A playing-ball comprising a shell consisting of an inner layer ofCelluloid and an outer layer of gutta-percha said layers beinginterlocked and a yielding filling held under compression by said shell.

16. A playing-ball comprising a shell consisting wholly of two layers,the inner layer being perforated and the material of the outer layerpenetrating the perforations said outer layer being materially thickerthan said inner layer and also of softer material; and a yieldingfilling held under compression by said shell.

17. A playing-ball comprising a shell having two layers of plasticmaterial; the inner layer being perforated and also being harder IOO IIO

thanand distinct from the outer layer, and the latter consisting ofwelded segments; and a springy core.

18. A playing-ball comprising a yielding filling and a shell consistingwholly of two layers; theinnerlayer consisting of separated segments andthe outer layer consisting of welded segments of plastic material; theweld portion of the outer layer protruding between the edges of saidseparated segments.

19. A playing-ball comprising a shell consisting Wholly ofl two layers,the inner layer consisting of celluloid and the outer layer consistingof welded segments of gutta-percha and being materially thicker than theinner layer; and a yielding filling held under compression by saidshell.

20. A playing-ball comprising a shell having an inner layer consistingof segments of celluloid and an outer layer consisting of weldedsegments of guita-percha, and a yielding filling within said shell andforming the body of the ball.

2l. A playing-ball comprising a shell having two layers of plasticmaterial, the inner layer being harder and distinct from the outer layerand also being perforated, and a yielding filling held underVcompression by said shell.

22. A playing-ball comprising a shell having an inner hard layer, anouter layer consisting of welded segments of gutta-percha, said outerlayer being materially'thieker than said inner layer; and a rubbersphere held under compression by said shell. Y

23. A playing-ball comprising a shell having an inner perforated layerof Celluloid and an outer layer of gutta-percha, said O uter layer beingmaterially thicker than said inner layer; and a springy filling heldunder compression by said shell.

24. A playing-ball comprising a shell having an outer layer consistingof welded segments of gutta-percha, and an inner thinner layer of harderspringy material; said layers being interlocked, said outer layerforming the cover of the ball.

25. A playing-ball comprising a shell consisting wholly of two layers,the inner layer consisting of separated segments each of which isperforated, and the material of the outer layer penetrating theperforations; said outer layer consisting of welded segments, the weldedportion of the outer layer extending between said separated segments,said outer layer forming the cover of the ball.

26. Aplaying-ball comprising a shell consisting of two layers, the innerlayer being perforated and consisting of separated segments ofcellnloid, and the material of the outer layer penetrating theperforations, said outer layer consisting of welded segments ofgutta-percha and being materially thicker than said inner layer; thewelded portion of the gutta-percha layer extending between the Celluloidsegments, said outer layer forming the cover of the ball.

27. A playing-ball comprising a shell consisting of two layers, onelayerl being provided with perforations each whereof extends throughsaidv layer, the perforations being countersunk, and the material of'the other layer penetrating the, perforations.

28. A playing-ball comprising a shell having interlocked4 layers, theinner layer being of Celluloid and perforated, and the outer layerconsisting of welded segments of guttapercha, and a yielding fillingheld under compression by said shell. n

29. A playing-ball comprising a shell consisting of a perforated innerlayer consisting of separated segments of Celluloid, an outer layerconsisting of welded segments of guttapercha, the material of said outerlayer penetrating said perforations; and a yielding filling held undercompression by said shell.

30. A playin g-ball comprising a shell consisting of an inner layer ofCelluloid and an outer layer consisting of welded segments ofgutta-percha; said layers being interlocked; and a rubber sphere heldunder compression by said shell. v

31. A playing-ball comprising a shell consisting Wholly of two layers,the inner layer being perforated and the material of the outer layerpenetrating the perforation's; said outer layer being materially thickerthan said inner layer and also of softer material; and a rubber shellheld under compression by said shell and provided with a hard, springycenter piece.

32. A playing-ball comprising a iilling and a shell thereon consistingof welded segments of plastic material having embedded therein separatedand distinct perforated segments of other plastic material.

33. A playing-ball comprising a filling and a shell thereon consistingof welded segments of plastic material having embedded on its inner sideseparated and distinct perforated segments of other plastic material.

ELEAZER KEMPSHALL.

Witnesses:

B. C. STICKNEY, JOHN O. SEIFERT.

IOO

